It has been over two years since Ken Bruce signed off from BBC Radio 2, after more than three decades of hosting the mid-morning show.
The Scottish presenter, 72, who was awarded an MBE for his contribution to radio, left to join commercial station Greatest Hits Radio.
Vernon Kay now takes on the weekday slot 9:30-12, but since taking the helm, listening figures have reportedly dropped from around 8.1million listeners, to 6.6million.
Two and half years on, Ken is now speaking out on why he doesn’t tune in to his old time slot and what his views are on the Radio 2 audience figures, since he left.
Speaking to Saga magazine he revealed: ‘I’m always asked if I listen to Vernon Kay, who took over the old show on Radio 2 and I always say, “No”.
‘It’s not because I’m boycotting the BBC – I still listen to Radio 3 and archive shows on 4 Extra – but because I’m part of a new family now, Bauer Radio.
It has been over two years since Ken Bruce signed off from BBC Radio 2, after more than three decades of hosting the mid-morning show
Vernon Kay now takes on the weekday slot 9:30-12, but since taking the helm, listening figures have reportedly dropped from around 8.1.million listeners, to 6.6million
‘I want to know what our guys are up to, so I listen to our shows. Am I aware that audience figures for the Radio 2 show have fallen since I left? Yes. Did some follow me over to Greatest Hits Radio? Yes.’
He added: ‘You won’t hear me gloating or badmouthing the BBC, though. My new show’s doing well – apparently, the audience has doubled since I joined – and that’s all that matters.’
Ken who has six children aged 15 to 43 from his three marriages, as well as three grandchildren, has always insisted that it was ‘his decision’ to step away from the BBC after 46 years and assured fans that he ‘wasn’t sacked.’
Sticking with that narrative, he revealed that he found himself becoming more and more grumpy and frustrated with the lack of change in his life.
He continued: ‘Although it’s only been two-and-a-half years since I moved from Radio 2 to Greatest Hits Radio, it feels like a completely different part of my life.
‘I had 46 fantastic years at the BBC, but I was turning into the grumpiest man in the world. I was 71, I’d done the same job for a long time and I started to think, “Is that it? Next stop the scrapheap?”
‘So, I decided – and I’m sure there are lots of people out there in the same position – that it was time to shake things up.
‘New place and new people, full of enthusiasm for the show. Retirement any time soon? Not a chance!’
Two and half years on, Ken is now speaking out on why he doesn’t tune in to his old time slot and what his views are on the Radio 2 audience figures, since he left
Ken, who was at the BBC for 46 years revealed that he made the decision to move radio stations because he found himself becoming more and more grumpy and frustrated with the lack of change in his life (pictured in 1984)
Following his exit, Ken has taken on a brand-new mid-morning show on Greatest Hits Radio and with him the legendary Pop Master radio quiz – of which he owns the rights.
There, he challenges music fans to recall chart-topping facts and stats in a battle to become PopMaster champion.
Talking about securing the rights to PopMaster, Ken joked: ‘Although I am not well-known for my financial acumen, I have made a few sound business decisions, one of which was securing the rights to the PopMaster quiz.
‘It meant I could take the format with me when I moved to Greatest Hits Radio and I’ll be bringing it with me next year when I join the Saga Cruise to the Canary Islands.’
Ken first moved to mid mornings in 1986 and – after a brief stint on late nights for less than a year in 1990 and then into early mornings – he returned to mid mornings in January 1992 where he presented for over 30 years until his departure in 2023.
For the last five years Greatest Hits has had a history of poaching popular members of staff from BBC Radio 2.
Listening figures released last year by RAJAR showed the station’s audience has grown by 13 per cent from 6.66 million to 7.54 million listeners since a 2023 report covering the same period last year.
